Inter Miami and Palmeiras shared the spoils in a back-and-forth affair on Tuesday (IST) and 2-2 draw saw both sides qualify for the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Palmeiras snatched away what would have been a perfect early birthday gift for Lionel Messi. Inter Miami CF led the final Group A match for 79 minutes before the Brazilians struck twice in quick succession to secure first place in Group A.
The Herons took the lead against the run of play after Luis Suarez knocked down a long ball at midfield for an onrushing Tadeo Allende. The young Argentinian sprinted clear of Palmeiras’ defenders and coolly finished past Weverton.
Suarez then turned the clock back in the second half, slithering past multiple defenders before firing home with his left to double Inter Miami’s advantage.
But with ten minutes to go, substitutes Paulinho and Allan combined with the latter finding the former breaking into the penalty area. Paulinho slotted home in front of the Palmeiras faithful, setting up a nervy final stanza.
With time winding down Palmeiras fired a ball into the box which was poorly cleared and fell perfectly to substitute Mauricio who lashed home from the edge of the box, sending the traveling fans into delirium.
Inter Miami will face Group B winners and European champions Paris Saint-Germain in Atlanta on Sunday. Palmeiras will take on fellow Brazilian side and CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champion Botafogo on Saturday in Philadelphia.
PSG beat Sounders to progress into knockouts
Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 2-0 victory past Seattle Sounders FC to book their place in the Round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Goals in each half from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi secured maximum points for the European champions, who have progressed as Group B winners ahead of second-placed Botafogo.
The Brazilians lost 1-0 to Atletico de Madrid in Monday’s other fixture in the section, but still qualified ahead of Diego Simeone’s team on goal difference. Seattle exit the competition having lost all three of their fixtures.
Luis Enrique’s men controlled the game from the off, possessing the ball in Seattle’s defensive half. The game didn’t truly come alive until, against the run of play, the Sounders’ high press forced an error from Gianluigi Donnarumma. The ball fell to Sounders striker Jesus Ferreira, but the Colombian-born forward fired wide, FIFA reports.
After that, PSG battened down the hatches. They controlled the pitch from back to front and slowly squeezed the resistance out of the valiant home side.
PSG finally broke the deadlock in the 35th minute through a fortuitous deflection off Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian’s back redirected a misguided shot from Vitinha, pushing the ball past Sounders’ keeper Sebastian Frei. After the goal, the game began to open up, with both sides looking to press for a goal before the break.
In the second half, PSG returned to the ascendancy, maintaining the ball and creating half chances in the early minutes.
After a spell in defence, Zaire-Emery collected the ball in midfield and hit a curling ball into the path of Barcola on the left-wing. Barcola took on his defender at speed and, upon entering the box, squared the ball to an onrushing Hakimi on the far side.
The Moroccan international easily slotted home to make it 2-0 for the Parisians.
Sebastian Frei did his best to keep the scoreline respectable, making several key saves in the dying minutes. PSG returns to action on Sunday, when they will face the runners-up in Group A in Atlanta.
Atletico Madrid suffer exit despite win over Botafogo
Atletico Madrid became the first European team to be eliminated from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup despite Antoine Griezmann’s late goal helping the Spanish club beat Brazil’s Botafogo 1-0 in Group B on Monday.
The narrow victory was not enough to send the Spanish side into the knockout stage, as three teams finished with six points in the group. Atletico was edged out on goal difference, finishing third behind Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo. Atletico dominated the match with 22 shots but struggled to convert until the 87th minute, when Griezmann slotted home a low cross from Julian Alvarez to break the deadlock, reports Xinhua.
Botafogo, the reigning South American champions, employed a deep defensive setup and relied on quick counterattacks, producing four shots – three of them on target – all of which were denied by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
The match’s most controversial moment came in first-half stoppage time when Alvarez was brought down in the box. However, after a VAR review, the referee opted not to award a penalty, prompting heated protests from the Atletico bench.
In the other Group B match, which kicked off at the same time, Paris Saint-Germain eased past the Seattle Sounders 2-0. The result saw Paris Saint-Germain top the group, ahead of Botafogo on goal difference.